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I wouldn't say that AEW Dynamite was bad this week. But it certainly wasn't as good as the first two weeks of television content, perhaps because the focus this week seemed to be building new talent for the future of the program.
The second hour of action was a lot better than the first one was, truth be told. But maybe it was also because all of the stars were in action during the second hour and the first one did not really have as many known faces that are already over.
In any case, it's time for the 'Best and Worst' of AEW Dynamite, served hot and fresh for your reading pleasure immediately after the broadcast. Please leave a comment and let me know if you felt the same way that I did about the show.
By no means am I encouraging you to give up on the show, because all said and done, it was still a lot of fun.
#1 Best: Moxley and PAC disintegrate
As Danny Devito glared on from the background, Moxley and PAC squared off against Omega and Page. It was a great match from start to finish, with Moxley and Omega coming to blows, finally allowing for their rivalry to play out in the manner it was supposed to before Moxley got injured.
But then Kenny Omega pulled out a broom while Moxley returned to a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, not unlike Lucille from the Walking Dead universe. But PAC was not interested in this kind of match, and Moxley was, leading to a dissolution of the team.
The two men will square off next week in what should be a very good match. As for this tag team match, it was probably better than the two matches from the actual tag teams this week.
#1 Worst: Who is Jungle Jack?
Like many of you, I've grown up on Jim Ross' voice, calling the action during the Attitude Era. And when he calls the action even now, there's a sense of familiarity, there's a sense of thrill associated with what many consider to be the greatest era of professional wrestling in history.
But unfortunately, Jim Ross is no longer the announcer that he once used to be anymore, I guess. He repeatedly kept referring to Jungle Boy as Jungle Jack, or Jungle Jack Perry, while the others called him by his actual name.
To make matters worse, he referred to the tag team match in the co-main event as the main event more than once. If you actually watched the action on Fite TV, you may have also noticed Ross and Schiavone talking to the production crew during the commercial breaks.
The commentary was a mess.
#2 Best: Jericho makes Darby Allin a star
There's something about a Chris Jericho match that is just different from everything else in the wrestling world. The way he applies his psychology to showcase the strengths of his opponents is truly quite an exemplary feat. I especially loved the fact that we got to see a new side of Allin, the fact that he can wrestle with his hands tied as well.
Jericho even played around with Allin's skateboard establishing him as the clear heel. He would need Jake Hager's assistance to pick up a win, which made Allin look very strong indeed. A new Superstar was made on this week's show and Allin is certainly a guy to look out for.
There's such a clear gulf between the veteran and the novices in AEW, but people like Chris Jericho and Cody are bridging it by working against the young guns. I'd actually like to see another match between the two.
#2 Worst: The portrayal of Santana and Ortiz
I say this as a big fan of Santana and Ortiz, I do believe that the two men are being miscast in LAX. Back in Impact Wrestling, they were two tough guys who went from being heels to babyfaces, who put on some extraordinary matches. The goofy facials were not a part of their arsenal then, and they were just two tough guys who lived to fight.
Suddenly, they are making the strangest faces during their matches. I get that they're supposed to be the two crazy maniacs of the Inner Circle but there are better ways to portray the same than these facials. Anything that was once cool about these men seems to have disappeared in AEW.
I wonder if they need someone like Konnan as their manager as they did in Impact Wrestling. Maybe that's the next step for the two men!
#3 Best/Worst: The tag team tournament
I just think a lot more character development was needed to be done before the tag team tournament began. We have no reason to root for The Best Friends or even feel bad for SCU when one of their members got knocked out at the start. Plus, the injury to Luchasaurus killed a lot of the buzz that surrounded his team with Jungle Boy.
I like Pentagon and Fenix and with the exception of Private Party, they're probably the most exciting team in the whole tournament. The Best Friends seem really silly to me, and except for the guys in the arena, I'm certain that nobody watching at home would pop for an in-ring hug.
The Young Bucks needed to go all the way in this tournament and maybe lose in the finals. Without them in the mix, it just feels tepid.
That said I like the fact that there's a readymade rivalry for The Lucha Bros in SCU, stemming from the very first match.
